As spring arrives and golfers begin to contemplate the warmer and dryer weather ahead, their thoughts turn to golf getaways that don't require a week long vacation and a million frequent flyer miles. The spring and summer months offer excellent opportunities for golfers to take shorter golf getaway trips to locations throughout the Pacific Northwest. In recent years the additions of some outstanding destinations in the region have made golf vacations in the region not only possible but down right special.

Washington State, offers some new additions and some upgrades to the old standbys:

The Resort at Semiahmoo, offers guests a unique opportunity to play the only Arnold Palmer designed courses in Washington. Raddison Hotels, manage the resort and offer guests outstanding service and accommodations in addition to excellent golf.

The Resort at Port Ludlow has long been a great getaway location from Seattle. Now with the upgrade for the golf course to twenty-seven holes the challenges for golfers at this outstanding resort are the best.

The Alderbrook Resort on Hood Canal, is an excellent alternative for travelers looking for a getaway that is uncrowded and offers a more relaxed Northwest style. The resort features an excellent eighteen hole championship course that requires a strong game to score well, the resort also features a marina for boaters to dock and visit.

East of the mountains in the Lake Chelan area golfers will find two courses well worth the visit. Desert Canyon and the Lake Chelan Golf Course are both excellent tests of golf in the area. The Desert Canyon course was recently rated as the number two course in the state by Golf Digest Magazine, and the Lake Chelan Golf Course is a very challenging course that features spectacular views. Excellent packages for golfers are available in Lake Chelan or Wenatchee including golf on either of these fine courses.

Golf in the Spokane area is highlighted by the golf packages offered by the Sheraton Spokane Hotel and the Red Lion Inn Spokane. Both hotels offer excellent packages featuring golf daily on the eight county and city courses in the area. Many of the courses are rated among the top ten courses in the state. The Skamaina Lodge in the Columbia River Gorge is an outstanding golf getaway. The resort offers golf on The Bridge of the Gods Golf Course. The course is a short but challenging test of golf with spectacular views of the river and the natural wonders that are the hallmarks of the resort.

Oregon State, is an excellent choice for golfers looking for something different in the way of golf destinations. The variety of resorts and golf courses make Oregon an excellent choice for golf travelers.

The Resort at the Mountain in Welches, is just forty-five minutes from downtown Portland. The resort is a full service hotel featuring an excellent twenty-seven hole golf course and a fabulous Inn and Conference Center.

The Salishan Lodge, in Glenden Beach on the Oregon coast has long been known as an outstanding golf vacation destination. This year marks the completion of a total upgrade of the golf course and practice facilities, and the addition of the eighteen hole putting course to the resort.

Black Butte Ranch near Sisters, offers thirty-six holes of challenging golf on property and excellent accommodations year round. The resort was recently featured as a "Must Play" in Oregon by Golf Magazine.

In the nearby town of Redmond sits the Eagle Crest Resort, offering thirty-six holes of golf on property. The resort offers a full array of recreational opportunities for guests including the full service health club and fishing on the Deschutes River that runs through the resort.

The finest resort in Oregon is The Sunriver Resort, located just south of Bend along the Deschutes River. This excellent resort offers fifty-four holes of championship golf on property including the new Crosswater Course that was recently named the "The Best New Resort Course" in America for 1995 by Golf Digest. You will find plenty of challenges on all three of the excellent courses.

Idaho has been added to the list of golf vacation destinations in recent years after the addition of the golf resort Coeur d' Alene. The Coeur d' Alene Resort Hotel, offers golfers from throughout the world the five-star service for which this resort has become famous. Golf at the resort features the opportunity to challenge the famous floating green on the par three # 14th hole. This hole is one of the most famous an photographed holes, in the Pacific Northwest.

The Elkhorn Resort in Sun Valley, features a course rated as the toughest course in Idaho and among the top three toughest in the Pacific Northwest. The resort is a world class destination resort offering a variety of vacation and recreational opportunities for guests to enjoy.

No matter if it's a short weekend getaway or a two-week vacation, the Pacific Northwest is fast becoming a true golf destination for travelers from throughout the world and offers a wide choice of destinations to explore and enjoy. So if you enjoy a small rustic inn or a full service resort, you will find what you are looking for in the Pacific Northwest area of the USA.

Designed by Tom Fazio, Rams Hill Golf Club in Borrego Springs, Calif. is considered the best course in San Diego County. Stay-and-play options let you rent a private home on the course, or stay at La Casa del Zorro Hotel & Spa or Borrego Springs Resort.